To Be Dauntless
by Myst1989
Summary: Denver is a Dauntless-born initiate, the daughter of a Dauntless leader. Come and see the story of Divergent through her eyes...


**Hello there and thank you for clicking on my story! It is my first one on here so please be nice... pretty please...?**

**Obviously Divergent and the characters do not belong to me. Only Denver does. And believe me she is more then I can handle already.**

**Like I said, this is my first story on so I would love any comments or suggestions on how to get better at writing. Sometimes I have a million ideas running around my head like hamsters on Red Bull and I have a hard time funneling them into my writing to where they all make sense.**

**I also have a request to anyone who might read this : I wanted to make this a romance story, but I am having a hard time picking a guy for Denver to fall for. I've got three in mind (no, none of them are Four because Tris would kill me), but if you could offer a suggestion on who you would pick I would appreciate it and hopefully it will help me decide later on.**

**Thank you for reading! ^_^ cake for everyone!**

When she opened her eyes that morning Denver felt an odd mixture in her stomach, something between excitement and dread.

It was the day of the Choosing Ceremony. The day she would make a choice that would affect the rest of her life.

One of five.

But she already knows what her choice will be. She knew before the Aptitude Test. She knew from the time she was born.

Getting up, she ignored the clamor around her. The Dauntless were not known for their quietness. Subdued would never be a word applied to them. Everyone talked and laughed and made a mess as they scrambled for shirts, pants, shoes. Instead of living in a regular apartment with her parents… parent… Denver chose to live in the dorms with the single female members of Dauntless.

Grabbing a black top, black jeans, black fingerless lace gloves that went to her elbows and running her fingers through her dark auburn hair, Denver grabbed her boots and a muffin from the tray that someone had brought it before running with the crowd down to the Pit. Everyone was up already. It was a very important day for the 16 year olds of Dauntless. There was going to be a speech from one of the Dauntless leaders before they left for the ceremony.

Denver had taken a big bite of her muffin, then heard the voice that made it turn to ash in her mouth.

Max. Dauntless leader.

And her father.

"It is time again my faction," he began in a loud voice. "Time once again for Choosing Day."

A cheer went up from the crowd. Denver swallowed with difficulty.

"This is the day where our young ones make their faction proud. This is the day that the brave will be separated from the cowards. This is the day you cross the threshold from child to adult," he was looking at them all as he spoke, but Denver felt that his eyes were on her. That his words were meant for her. Which was ridiculous. Max hadn't acknowledged his daughter since-

"Follow your hearts and heed the call of your blood," Max finished in a booming voice. "Choose bravely!"

There was a clamor of shouts and cheers that nearly made her go deaf. It continued up the tunnels and into the streets, up to the tracks. A train, always running on schedule, was coming just then. Without slowing down the Dauntless ran alongside and flung themselves into the cars. Denver jumped and grabbed the handle, then nearly collided into another Dauntless who was entering the same car she was. In pulling back to keep from smacking into the boy Denver swung back and her shoulder slammed into the side of the car. She bit her lip but a cry of pain still escaped her throat. A strong hand grabbed her arm and swung her inside the car. Denver let go of the handle and grabbed her throbbing shoulder.

"You okay?" a male voice asked.

"Fine Uriah," Denver snapped before she could check her tone.

"You're welcome," Uriah said with a laugh.

"Does anything ever get to you?" Denver asked, a little annoyed.

"Nope. It's the secret to my irresistible charm."

"Get out of my face before I puke on you."

"So many compliments from you today. It's okay to admit it, I know you've always secretly loved me," Uriah teased, lifting his eyebrows.

"I will push you out of this car," Denver warned and shoved him away from her.

"Naw, you'd miss me too much. And besides, then you wouldn't get to compete against me," he reminded her.

They both grew serious. Denver sat down with her back pressed against the wall of the car, watching the city pass underneath them as they headed towards the Hub and their destiny. Uriah sat beside her, all joking gone. "So, what are you going to choose?" he asked.

"What do you think?" Denver responded.

"Well, what did you get on your test?" Uriah countered. "I'm sure we can talk about it now."

"What do you think I got?" Denver asked.

"Why do you always answer a question with a question?"

"Why do you never answer the question?"

"Well why do you-" he started then stopped. "Talking to you for too long gets confusing. Maybe you should go Erudite, with how much you love questions."

"Say that again and I will break your nose."

"Ah and more compliments. They just keep coming."

To Denver the Erudite were nothing but know-it-all pain-in-the-necks. They were supposed to be pursuing knowledge for the good of others, but now the Erudite were more into pursuing knowledge in order to hold it over others, make non-Erudites feel inferior. What was the point of having knowledge if you did nothing with it, just horded it like treasure?

The Amity were the most annoying faction by far. All the peace-loving sissies did was prance around dancing, singing and hugging each other. A nightmare. They babbled on and on about nothing. Pansies, the lot of them. Peace, peace, peace, always peace. No one defending themselves or others. Nothing went on in their fluff-filled heads except love and growing things.

The Candor were also annoying but not on the same level as Amity. The faction that valued truth and never lied. Denver snorted at the thought. Candor just loved to hear themselves talk. They debated everything and used honesty as an excuse to insult one another to start fights which led to debates which led to talking. Talking and more talking. Strange how they disliked Amity when the two factions seemed to do nothing but talk.

The Abnegation. Now there was a weird faction. Grey clothes on grey people living grey lives. They took selflessness, what they valued, to the extreme. From what Denver had seen they all walked quietly, in uniform, wearing baggy grey clothes, always projecting outward. They were like bees following a hive mindset. Or like robots following programing. Boring. No one ever noticed the Abnegation.

Or at least, they didn't use to. Now it seemed more and more Abnegation were being targeted because of the reports that Erudite put out attacking their characters. But really, accusing the selfless faction of being selfish was pretty dumb. It was all Jeanine Matthews wanting power. The Abnegation ran the government and the Erudite thought that because they were smartypants that they should run things.

Denver didn't care one way or another. The Dauntless was her home. It had always been her way of life and she never wanted to live another. It was dangerous and at times ruthless, but it was also thrilling and full of life. Dauntless were loud, rowdy, proud, pierced, tattooed, crazy adrenaline junkies. It was the best of the five in Denver's opinion.

The train slowed and the Dauntless began jumping out. Not every member of every faction came to the Choosing Ceremony, but enough came to where it looked like a huge crowd.

The Candor and Amity were taking the elevators. Boring. The Dauntless let out whoops and shouts and headed for the stairs. Denver's feet pounded the steps in time to her heart thudding in her ribcage. The Dauntless flooded the large ceremony room like a black-clothed tidal wave.

Five bowls stood in the center of the room, each filled with a substance that portrayed each faction:

Water for Erudite

Glass for Candor

Earth for Amity

Grey stones for Abnegation

Hot coals for Dauntless

Her blood would soon sizzle on those coals.

Each year the faction who gave the opening speech rotated and this year it was Abnegation's. One of their leaders, Markus Eaton, stood and spoke, giving the history and reason why each faction was formed. Denver joined in the hoots and cheers when Dauntless was spoken of.

All sixteen year old members of the factions stepped into the center towards the bowls. One they chose a faction they became initiates and then, once they passed initiation, became members. The choice was made by taking a knife and cutting your hand, letting your blood drip into the faction bowl of your choice. Denver wondered absently who had come up with the ceremony. It seemed like a lot of pomp and fluff. Why couldn't the teens just step up, say which faction they wanted and let that be the end of it? Seemed like a lot less work.

The names were read off. One after another there is a name, a knife and a choice. Most of the teens choose their own factions. It was difficult to leave once you were raised in a certain way of life. Plus by leaving your faction you also left your family behind. They were no longer important. They were no longer a part of you.

Faction before blood.

That was the motto of their society. More than anything, their factions were where people belonged. Apart from that, there was nothing else. Except the factionless. And many, Denver included, would rather die than be factionless. When you were factionless, you were nothing.

"James Tucker."

James. Denver knew him. He was always one of the last to jump on the train, always a little reluctant to climb high, to jump, to run, to kick, to wrestle. He had no tattoos, no piercings. He was strange.

He stepped forward and took the knife offered to him. He cut his hands and looked between the Candor bowl and the Dauntless bowl.

"Don't do it," Denver muttered under her breath, seeing the indecision in his eyes. "Don't."

But he does. James sticks his hand over the Candor bowl. His blood drips on the glass.

Mutters and grumbles come from behind her. Denver feels like joining them, but stays silent. She glares coldly at James as he takes his place with the Candor. Did he care at all about the insult, the shame he had just put on his faction?

Coward.

When her name was called Denver was still angry. She would show them. She would make up for the insult James had paid to their faction.

Walking forward without hesitation Denver took the knife and pulled it down her hand and thrust it over the Dauntless bowl. The shouts and cheers from her faction muffled the sound of her blood hitting the coals. Punching her fist into the air, Denver tossed the knife and marched to stand with her faction. They patted her on the shoulder and one of the girl initiates put an arm around her, saying something in her ear. But she didn't hear them. She was staring at the one man who she wished would glance her way, give some kind of sign that he was proud of her choice.

But Max didn't even turn his head.

A surprise came when an Abnegation boy, Caleb Prior, son of an Abnegation leader, chose Erudite. Murmurs, some of outrage, some of concern, some of gloating, float from both the Abnegation and the Erudite sections. Marcus quiets everyone to continue the ceremony.

Next it was the Abnegation boy's sister Beatrice, a small blond. She'd probably go for Abnegation. She wouldn't be much good anywhere else except maybe Amity. The girl looked pale and shaky, like she would pass out at any moment. She seemed to take forever making her decision, but when she finally did it was another shock.

Dauntless.

The small blond chose Dauntless.

Denver smirked. She wouldn't be much competition.

**Not much of a first chapter I know, but I did warn you I was new to this. Please let me know what you think. And please give constructive criticism. If you are just going to tell me I suck, well I already know that so telling me again won't help. Give me things to work on and tell me how I can improve.**

**Now if you'll excuse me I am going to go hide my Four shrine before Tris finds-**

***crash***

**0_o yikes! gotta go!**


End file.
